A Facebook group was created Wednesday calling for people to post why they do not support the actions of Cherokee County school board member Kelly Marlow, and a petition was started Friday calling for Marlow to rescind her complaint to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Christine Rea of Canton created the group called SCRAM! or Smart Citizens Rally Against Marlow!, which had more than 525 members by Friday.

“The intention of the group was to put all the information in one place,” Rea said. “There won’t be anything that will be slanderous or libelous posted.”

Canton resident Ashley Cline started the online petition at change.org, and had more than 125 supporters by Friday afternoon, less than 10 hours after it was created.

“I was really disappointed in Kelly Marlow’s behavior,” Cline said. “She really crossed the line with parents, teachers and administrators by calling in SACS.”

The moves come after Marlow called for a formal investigation of the Cherokee County School District by AdvancED, the agency that includes SACS, which oversees accreditation for the school district.

In a letter dated June 11, Marlow wrote to AdvancED Director Mike Bryans that, in her opinion, “the Board of Education in Cherokee is no longer able to effectively govern the school system.”

AdvanceEd has said it is reviewing the complaint to determine if “standards or procedures regarding accreditation have been violated.”

Marlow did not respond to the Tribune’s requests for comment.

SCRAM! stated four missions for the group fighting Marlow: to preserve the school system, to collect information regarding Marlow’s actions, to act as a mechanism for facilitating communication with relevant parties and to act as a virtual town square.

Rea said she has three children in the school district and said it’s encouraging to see so many people that care about what’s going on and how it could be detrimental to the district.

“She didn’t need to go there,” Rea said. “At this point I’m a little speechless as to why (Marlow sent the letter to SACS).”

Rea said that she was disappointed in Marlow’s action because she is not only affecting her district, but the entire district.

“There haven’t been any plans to actually move forward with (recalling Marlow), but it is under consideration only because the question has been posed numerous times,” Rea said.

Cline said she started the petition because she was concerned about the letter Marlow sent to SACS and because she wanted to spread word to people in the district.

“By signing this petition, you are asking Ms. Marlow to rescind her letter to AdvancED and put aside her personal political agenda,” the petition description reads. “It is time to focus on the welfare of CCSD’s students!”

Cline said her husband is an employee in the Cherokee County School District, and said both of her children are involved in the district. Cline said calling in SACS was a serious step that put the entire district’s accreditation on the line.

“It boils down to a personal vendetta, and now our kids are in the crosshairs,” Cline said. “To me, that’s unacceptable.”

So far, the content of members’ comments on the page have included articles by local media about the Cherokee County School District and about Marlow, comments about why members oppose Marlow’s actions, links to related Internet content like Marlow’s latest newsletter and documents from open records requests regarding Marlow, a document about Georgia’s procedure to recall elected officials and a link to the online petition asking for Marlow to rescind her complaint to SACS.

“This group was created to bring together like-minded people who have an interest in making sure the children of our county are our priority,” the Facebook group description read.

The SCRAM! Facebook page is an open group, meaning anyone, even those who do not have Facebook accounts, can view the content. The group can be found at face book.com/groups

/138252739710837/.

The petition can be viewed and signed at change.org/petitions/kelly-marlow-school-board-member-of-cherokee-county-district-1-rescind-your-complaint-to-advanced#news.

Your kid is no more special than anyone else's. Chances are, the fact that your kid wasn't cutting it in CCSD has less to do with the teacher/school and more to do with your kid. Your child is not in CCA because they are amongst the elite...they're there because they won a lottery.

You can "helicopter parent" your kid all you want but you are doing him/her no favors because the world is full of public school kids...many of whom your kid will be answering to when they grow up and get into the real world.

If CCA wants to do something valuable for your kid, they should develop a class called "Real World Sociology - How NOT To Grow Up To Be Like Your Parents".

If you, as a charter school parent, think that I'm painting all charter school parents with too broad a brush and being mean, remember that it's the vocal minority like "What A Phony", "Amendment 1 wins!" and, of course, Kelly Marlow, that are influencing public opinion.

Keep your mediocre standards of what passes for 'public education' to yourself, R.L. Some charter parents want better than the handout-the-worksheet, teach-to-the-test mentality that is so pervasive in the public school system. Chances are greater that the kid was being ignored by entitled, lazy teachers. Not that CCSD teachers know much about taking responsibility.

It's nice of you to insult CCA children as part of your argument though. Really illustrates the hive mindset of avoiding the question and resorting to personal attacks.

The irony of anyone associated with a hate-filled Facebook page filled with personal vendettas and petty behavior lecturing to anyone else about Sociology is amusing. I'm guessing you're not bright enough to see the hypocrisy of your elitist post.

How about getting off Facebook and getting more involved in your children's education? Lord knows some teachers need to take this advice.

Acme Fence Company

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June 26, 2013

What a Phony and Amendment 1 are the same person-- you can tell because he posts on multiple websites with no facts, only the same name calling. But then he will act all indignant over "personal attacks" against someone he supports.

Amendment 1 wins!

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June 23, 2013

Oh look - it's the charter-hating, idea-less NO Crowd, still smarting over the curb-stomp loss they took at the polls last year!

If only these "teachers" (using the word very loosely) felt less entitled and cared more about educating the 28% of CCSD kids they are FAILING to graduate on time each year.

But it's easier to bash a board member than it is to do one's job, even if it is one as simple as 'teaching'. Seriously, this isn't rocket science. Education majors are usually the ones who failed other majors and ended up at the bottom. And our children pay the price while King P sidles up to another taxpaid buffet line.

Do the "eduction majors" you refer to include the ones that teach at CCA? Be careful with blanket statements. Also, the over 800 members of the Facebook Group SCRAM are not all educators, they compose of cocerned parents fed up with Kelly's unethical practices.

Has Ms. Marlows and Mr. Trim's next town hall meeting location been relocated to Univetter Road?

Also,

Answer the question. Are the "education majors" you refer to in your blanket statement- are they the same ones that teach at the charter school?

Phillip Morris

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July 07, 2013

Why are you 'cocerned' about my reading skills when I mizpelled something?

What A Phony

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June 23, 2013

Christine Rea is the quitter who bad-mouthed Sixes Academy and its teachers, left Sixes Academy for the Charter School after being a huge outspoken charter advocate. Then, when it didn't work out for her kids there for whatever reason, she quit and scurried back to the district, cockroach style.

She now spends all of her time obsebadmouthing Marlow in a manner that borders on obsession. But it matters not, for everyone knows that Christine Rea is a great big hypocrite and not a person worthy of respect nor trust.

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